brosius



Oct. 23, 1928. 1,688,327

E. E. BROSIUS FURNACE TAPPING MACHINE Fi1ed NoK26, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet l Qct. 23, 1928. I 1,688,327

I E. E. BROSIUS FURNACE TAPPING momma "NZ-ran Oct. 23, 1928.

E. E. BROSIUS FURNACE TAPPING MACHINE Filed N 26. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 E. E. BROSIUS FURNACE TAPPING MAC-HIRE Filed Nov. 26. 1924' '4 sums-sheet 4 INVENTOR c2 Patented Get. 23,1928. y 4 i 1,688,327

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

EDGAR E. BROSIUS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

.FURNACE-TAPPING .MACHINE.

1 Application filed November 26, 1924. Serial No. 752361.

The present invention relates broadly to diagrammatic, showing one form of apparadrilling apparatus, and more particularly totus embodying the present invention; apparatus of this character adapted to, be Figure 2 isan end elevation of the tapping used. for the tapping of blast furnaces orthe apparatus shown in Figure 1;

raveling of tapping holes which have become Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, 5- clogged while the iron is flowing. p on an enlarged scale, withcertain of th-eparts It has heretofore been proposed in the art shown in elevation, through the tapping apto which the present invention relates to proparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2, and vide tapping apparatus mounted to be moved Figure 4 is'a detail sectional View, on a still toward and away from. the tapping hole in larger scale, of a portion of the operating 6" the general line thereof, and also apparatus mechanism shown in Figure 3. adapted to be swung toward and from the In the accompanying drawings there is iltapping hole, both in a horizontal and vertical lustrated a. portion of a blast furnace wall 2 direction. lVith all such means, however, the with a bustle pipe 3 in cooperative relation mounting has not been such as to cause the thereto, there being the usual shaft .t for same toniove to an inoperative position wholclamping; the inud gun or tapping appara ly out of the way, or of such construction as tus inoperative relation to the furnace. All to adapt the same for use in raveling a tapof these features of construction may be in ping hole clogged with coke or other inaaccordance with standard practice, and may 29 tcrials while the iron is flowing. be varied as required by the particular fur- 7 The tappin out operation is exceedingly nace design. danegerousand the intense heatmakes the op- The tapping apparatus is adapted to be oration exceedingly uncomfortable. Due to suspendedfroin the bustle pipe3in such manthe ineflicicncy of existing machines generalner that it may be swung into substantially ly, itis still quite common practice to tap by horizontal operativeposition, or to substan- 7 hand. It is one of the objects of the present Y tially vertical inoperative position wholly out invention to provide an easily operated tsp of the Way of operators engaged about the pine machine capable of being entirely confurnace. In order to permit such amounting, trolled and held in operative position, or; the frame 5 of the tapping machineis prefers 3 moved to an out of the way inoperative posiably formethadjacent the opposite ends theretion, by an operator located well away from of, with spaced upwardly extendingsupportthe danger zone of the tapping hole. ing lugs 6, to each'of which is pivotally con- A further object otthe invention is to pronected a link 7 having a plurality of longivide an apparatus of the character referred tudinally spaced perforations 8 in the upper to capable of being moved into, and clamped end thereof. These links and the openings 8 in, operative relation to a tapping: holeor are adapted to adjustably co-operate with over a skimingtrough to permit leveling of other links 9 having similar openings 10 in the tapping hole where such operation betheir lower ends, and pivotally connected comes necessary. I i, 1 attheir upper ends tea-bracket 11 secured in 40 In the accompanying drawings there is any, des'irec'lnianner to the bustle pipe, as, for shown, for purposes of illustration onl' v,.the example, by straps 12. -Preferably the front preferred embodiment of the present inven set of links 9 will be curved, as clearly shown tion, it being un erstood that the, drawings in Figure 1,'the curvature being substantiald o not define the limits of the invention, as ly the same as the curvature of the bustle pipe a the construction and operation to more easily permit the tapping machine 9" nosed may be made without detobe swung to inoperative position,.as'will p 1;: either from the spirit of the invenbe hereinafter fully apparent. The links 7 t on or the scope of my broader claims. and 9 for the front'of the tapping machine lo the drawings alsopreferably carry a protecting sheathing on Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, largely 13 formed in sections to permit the relative 10o adjustn'ient of the links as required, one of the sections carrying an overlapping or projecting strip 14 for closing the joint therebetween.

Also carried by the lugs 6, adjacent the front of the machine, is clamping arm 15 having a recess 16 at its outer end adapted to embrace themud gun shaft 4 for holding the tapping machine inpredetermined spaced operative relation to the furnace. This clamping arm has a downwardly extending projecting lug 17 of such length that it is adapted to engage one side of the shaft 4 as the ma, chine is swung into operative position to limit further movement. thereof toward the furnace and properly center the arm so that the recess 16'will engage the shaft. This arm is bifurcated adjacent the lug 6 to permit the same to be attached thereto, and each of the forks has-pivotally connected thereto a curved arm 18, which arms extend upwardly in diverging relationship and are pivotally' connected at their upper ends to'lifting'r'ods 19- The pivotal connecting meansbetween the diverging arms 18 and the lifting rodspreferably com prises a continuous pin 20 having an elongated anti-friction roller 21 surrounding the same. by cables 22 to a cross-head 23, to which is connected asingle lifting cable 24*passing "over a pulley25 to a fixed pulley 26 on a sup port or wall 27 at. a considerable distance from the blast furnace. The lifting cable passes over the pulley 26, thence arounda pulley 28, and returns tothe bracket 29 for the "pulley 26, onwhich it is dead ended. I The pulley 28 is carried by the upper end of a piston rod 30, and is adapted to be raised "and lowered in known manner by a fluid pressure cyl-- inder31. By directing fluid into the cylinder 31 in suchinanner as to movethe pulley 28 downwardly, the apparatus -will beswung from its full line positionof- Figure 1 to its dotted line position, while by permitting the pulley28 to move in the opposite direction,

the apparatus will again be lowered t'o'its operativeposition.

It is desirable that the construction of the;

apparatusbe such that the {clamping arm shall be first automaticallyreleasedfromthe shaft 4 before commencement of the lifting operation for the apparatus itself. This is accomplished by connecting the lifting rods 19 I and the arms 18 directly to the clamping arm,

thereby insuring initial movementof the vclamp'ing arm from its full line position of Figure lto its dotted line'p'osition'i Then this dotted line position has'been reached, the roller 21 will engage the protecting sheathing 13 on the front arms and tend to raise the en-- tire apparatus. The movement'of the roller 21 withrespectto this sheathing is limited by angles 32 and 83 extending transversely thereof. At the commencement of the upward movement of the apparatusthe roller '21 will bein engagement withthe angle 32.

The, lifting rods are in turn connected October 7, 1924.

however, embodies improvements over' the Thereafter, after the front links 7 have passed a substantially horizontal position, the roller will move into engagement-with the other angle 33 and remain in this position throughout the rest of the lifting operation,

the pivotal connection between the lifting rods 19 and the arms 18 permitting the clampand over which the present application constitutes an improvement.

Due-to the intense heat to which the parts of I the "tapping apparatus are subjected when in us either for the initial tapping out of the opening or for the subsequent raveling' thereof when the iron is flowing, it is necessary that the parts thereofbe positioned with respect to their ability to withstand temperature, and that the structure be made'su'ch as to accommodate this arrangement. For this reason, the frame 5 car lies at its rear portion a driving motor 34,

this motorb'eing the most susceptible to temper atureconditions. In front of the motor is a drill feed cylinder 35, and projecting from the drill feed cylinder, at the end opposite the motor 34, is a drill bar 36. Substantially this same general arrangementof elements is disclosed in patent to Judy No.

1,424,483, dated "August 1', 1922, and as claimed in his reissue Patent No.15,928 of The present application,

Judy patent which have been found desirable from the standpoint of increased efficiency of operation.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the drill feed cylinder 35 is detachably connectedat one end to a main casting 37 carrying the rear lugs 6 to which the links 7 are connected. At its oppo-- s1teend the cylinder is connected to a head 38.

Both the main casting 87, and the head 38 are carried within the protective casing or frame 5 before referred to, this frame at one end carrying a casting 39 on which are formed the lugsfti for the front links '1. The space he IOU tween the frame 5 and the drillfeed cylinder is'preferably filled with a suitable heat insulating material 40, such as asbestos, serving to protect the cylinder from the intense heat to which it"is subjected, particularly when raveling out a tapping ho'le while iron is flowing throughthe skimming trough.

Mounted within the drill feed cylinder is a drill feed piston 41 havingsuitable packing means 42 between the periphery of the same and the inner wall of the cylinder. This pi:- ton has an intermediate inwardly extending flange 43, and has oppositely extending coupling sleeve.

and 51. After the parts have been assembled I on the sleeve 48, a lock nut 52 is screwed on to the threaded end 50. Thereafter, a coupling sleeve. 53 is threaded on to the portion 51 and the drill feed piston rod 54, preferably of tubular construction, is threaded into the These parts, either before or after the completeassembly thereof, may

be inserted within the drill feed cylinder, and

the head 38'applied andfixed in position by screws 55 extending through the main frame 5. Thereafter, the packing and packing gland 56 may be added to prevent leakage around the drill feed piston rod. A drill bar coupling 57 may then be threaded on to the outer end of the drill feed piston rod for the reception of the drill bar 36.

It is necessary during the operation of the apparatus to impart both a longitudinal and a rotary motion to the drill bar. The longitudinal motion may be imparted by means. of the piston 41, the drill feed cylinder 40 having a fluid pressure connection 58 with one end thereof, and a second connection 59with the opposite end, whereby fluid may be directed at will into the drill feed cylinder for l effecting the desired longitudinal movement of the drill bar. Rotary movement is imparted to the drill bar by the motor-34 and the drill shaft 60 in alignment with the motor shaft 61. The drill shaft 60 is. secured in position within a collar 62 by a suitable transversely extending key 63, thereby preventing longitudinal movement of the drill shaft with the drill feed piston rod 54.. This drillshaft, however, is of angular cross section as clearly shown in Figure 4, and the sleeve 48 is provided with a correspondingly shaped bore whereby the drill shaft will impart rotation to the sleeve and thence to the drill feed piston rod, while permitting the piston 41 to remain non-rotatably within its cylinder by reason of the anti-friction bearings 47" between thesleeve and piston. The end61 of the motor shaft may also be square to impart rotation to .the collar 62. This collar is rotatablymounted within the casing 37 by antifriction bearings 64, which bearings alsoserve as thrust bearings for the flange 65 on one end of the collar, and the nut 66 on the opposite end thereof. The space intermediate the bearings 64 ma be constructed to provide packings 67 similar to the packings 45 before described. These bearings may also be, protected-by acover plate 68 secured to the cast ing37. y

Mounted above the drill feed cylinder is a blower cylinder 69 having a blower pipe 70 movable longitudinally therethrough for] blowing out foreign material from the tapping hole during the tapping operation. The

blower pipe may be advanced and retracted bya piston {71 secured thereto, the piston.

being moved in one direction by air supplied through the connection 72 and in the opposite direction by air supplied through the connection .73. The blower-cylinder, at its end adjac'ent the front lugs 6, may be provided with similar lugs 6 adapted to receive the connecting pinwhich pivotally connects the links 7 to the lugs 6.- At its opposite end the blower cylinder may be supported by a pin 74 extend ing through a suitable projection 7 5 on the rear lugs b and held in P08151011 by .a nut 76.

At certain times during the operation of the tapping apparatus it maybe desirable to supply oxygen through the blower pipe for the purposeof burning out scull. This may be accomplished by extending a fluid delivery pipe 77 centrally through the piston 71 and. the blower pipe adapted to deliver either air or, oxygen to the blower piper at its end adjacent the drill bar. At its opposite end the pipe.;77 may have an air supply connection 78 and an oxygen supply connection 'Z 9, these connections being adapted to be controlled at will by suitable valves 80. The oxygen may be supplied from a tank 81 preferably carried by the drilling apparatus so as to be swung into and vout of operative position therewith, and conveniently mounted on the cover plate 821 01- the motor'34. It will be apparent that each of the connections 58,59, 72, 73, 7 8 and 79 may have a flexible portion therein so as not to interfere with the swinging of the apparatus from one position to the other, such flexible connections preferably comprising metallic sections adapted to withstand the temperature conditions to which'theapparatus is subjected.

In operation, when it is desiredto tap a hole for the iron, the entire apparatus will be lowered from its dotted line position of F ig: .ure 1 to its full line position, the lowering operation bringing the projections 17 on the clamping arminto engagement with the shaft 4 for properly centering the parts. 'Thereafter, further slacking the cable 24 will cause the clamping arm to move to the desired posi-' tion. At this time the motor 34 may be energized-for rotating the drill bar, and fluid may be supplied through the connection 58 for movingthe drill feed piston rod to advance the drill bar, and through the connection 72 for maintaining the blower pipe in the de siredloperative position. At the completion of the tapping out operation,the fluid will be supplied through the connections 59 and 73 for returning the drill barand the blower pipe respectively. Thereafter, should it be necessary to ravel the tapping-hole, the enclosing leasing or :frame 5, 1 together with the heat insulating material 40, and the locationof; the'motor 34L, permit the'apparatus to be lowered into "position over w'the skimming;

, trough ithout injuryithfereto; The auto position and automatically held in the hoop Y.

erat-ive-position when'gmoved thereto.

7 Further advantages of the invention 'arise from-the provision of a'construction capable of effectively withstanding high temperatures and operable for supplying either air'o'r' oxygell' to the blower pipeasdesired; P g

p ising a drill, spaced links forn'lingasus pension 'forvthe drill? and causing the same;

to move to an overhead position through -a predetermined pathy means for holding the drill temporarily in operativerelationship to* the tapping out hole ofa blast furnace, and" means operable beiore movement of the drill into orout-of operative'position for bring ingsaid means into or out of operative hold- 'mg posit on, substantial'ly as described.

2, Blast furnace tapping apparatus,:'com'- prising a bustle pipe, suspension'means p1votallyconnected at spaced points to said pipe,- a drill pivotallyconnected to said suspension means, means for swinging the drillin to' and out of operative position "With respect to the furnace, certain of said suspension means being curved to substantially conform to 'the curviatureo'fthe bustle'pipe, and ashiel-d carried by saidcurved suspension means, sub v stantially as'descri'bed. v

3., Blast furnace tapping apparatus, comprising a rotatable drill, suspension means-Q therefor comprising a zpluralitytoflinks pivotally connected vadjacent the:end and ar-- ranged to permit the rclrillzto be swun'g'into substantially horizontal tapping position or into substantially vertical: inoperative posi- ;t1on, means carried by sa d: apparatus remote from the drilland entirely "rearWardly of said links forimpartingcontinuous rotation thereto with thedrilljin QHYPOSltlQIl, and means for. protecting isaid last-mentioned means irom the heat of the-furnace substantially as described.

being tapped;

Whilethe drill is --=held against? longitudinal n'iovement, and means intermediate the drill and: said rotating means for advancing or re-- tractingthe drill irrespectiveof Whether the drill is rotating? or not, substantially as described f e '5. 'Blast' furnace tapping apparatus, a comprisingabustle pipe, a drill, suspension means therefor arranged to permit the drill to be onthe drill'and attheir upper ends'to'spaced points-onsaidhustle pipe, certain of said links beingofiset intermediatetheir ends to accom modate iaportion of the bustle'pipe when the drill is out of tapping positio n,'ia shield-carried by saidoffset links,. and lifting means for saidrdrillwadapted to travel on said" shield l i during-the litting operation, substantially as a l. Blast iurnaceitapping apparatus, com-g l 7 i described. v

Blastlfurnace tapping-apparatus,-comprising a drill, holding means therefor for holdingthedrill in tapping-outposition, and

means for moving the drill toiinoperative position, said means being initially operative for releasing said holding means, substan 7. Blast furnace tappingapp aratus ,:-comprising a-drill, 'moans for suspending-said drill froman-overhead support, means for tiallywas-describedl t :81 Blastfurnace tapping apparatus, comprising'a drilLmeansfor rotating said'drilhg means for advancing or retracting said drill,

a-blower pipe,"n'ieans for advancing or retractlng' SELlCh blower pipe', and suspensionmeans for. said "apparatus comprising spaced alinlzs havingpivotal' suppo rting connections ateach elichthereof, substantially as descr bed.

9; In :anapparatus for forming tap-out holes in furnaces, a support, a bloWenpipe pro eet1ng-therefrom, a source of fluid under pressure carried by said support, means :for" swinging said support 'from operative to inoperative positionas required, 'and'means to Z advance or retract-said blower pipe, substan-" tially as described.

. 10. In an: apparatus for tapping blas't'fur-f naces, :a inovable tappinguneans, holding means movably carried therebyand adapted", tolhold the same intapping-out position, and {lifting-means directly secured to said holding l; :Blast furnace tapping apparatus, com- 1 I prising rotatable drill, suspension means 1 therefor comprising. aplurality of links-piv otally connected adjacent theirends and ar-' 1 ranged'to permit the drill to beas wung into substantially horizontal tapping position, or-- a into substantially vertical inoperative'position, means carri'cdby said apparatus remote"; from thedrill for imparting rotation-thereto 11". In an apparatus fortappin'g changing the path of travel ofsaidholding means during each "lifting operation.

12. In a furnace tapping apparatus, movably mounted tapping mechanism, holding means movably cooperating therewith, lifting means effective for lifting said mechanism only after said holding means has been moved to inoperative position, and an operative connection between said lifting and holding means effective for first moving the holding means to inoperative. position and thereafter lifting said mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDGAR BROSIUS. 

